Star Fox: Legacy: Epilogue
by Frostclaw01
Summary: NOTE - THIS EPILOGUE IS NOT PART OF THE MAIN STORY (Star Fox: Legacy)


LEGACY: EPILOGUE

A Star Fox Fan Fiction

Written by Frostclaw

 _Love someone  
not because he gives you what you need.  
Love him  
because he gives you the things  
you thought you never needed._

Peppy walked up to the lone grave marker. It was simple yet well kept. A frequently visited grave but one without a body. It stood as a marker for the late James McCloud. It was a reminder of Peppy's old friend. He had visited more frequently in his old age. Not only James' grave, but also the graves of General Pepper and Peppy's late wife Vivian. Still, it had felt like ages since he had talked to his old friend.

He looked down at the grave marker and sighed.

"Looks like the kids are alright, James." he stated. "Yer boy's doin' fine. He's grown up to be a lot like you. Still has his mother's heart. He insists he's followin' in your footsteps – but I think he's now far beyond the path you lead. He's making his own way. It may have been the direction you had planned to take yourself but now it's his alone. You'd be very happy with how he turned out."

Peppy thought for a moment. "He's not alone either. The rest of his team have all proven themselves. Beltino's son, Slippy, has proven to be a real genius. A bit excitable but otherwise probably the brightest engineer I've known. Falco has come a long way too from last time I told you about him. He was looking to leave Star Fox for a bit but he recently decided to help Fox a little longer to give him a chance to recover from the Venom incident. Nothing too bad, mind you. Just too a blast to the side. He prevented a war and survived in the woods for a week with that injury. Spent a couple days in the hospital when he got home. Mostly being treated for dehydration. Wolf never left his side the whole time. Often found him sleeping in the chair while Fox recuperated."

Peppy paused and thought some more. "I guess I should tell you about O'Donnell," continued Peppy, looking up at the sky, "You remember him? The young cadet you were mentoring. The one that got charged with treason. You never stopped believing he was innocent even when I had my doubts. Then you tried to bring him back to Corneria when he fled. You felt responsible for him, but he wouldn't listen. Stubborn kid. Well, I'm happy to say he was cleared of the charge and has tried to turn his life around. He's had a rough go of it, but Fox was able to reach out to him. His mother's heart, I tell ya. The two have been close ever since they got back from Venom. From the way the two have been carrying on of late, I suspect the relationship is still quite complicated. I think you'd be happy to see O'Donnell accepted into Star Fox though. You were a firm believer in finding the good in people and I think we both know that boy always had some good in him – just had a rough lot in life."

"Got them a new ship. I think the army owed them that much. It's a dreadnaught class starship like the original Great Fox and I suspect they'll like it. Dug it out of mothballs. Needs some work but it should be space worthy soon enough."

Peppy looked up at the sky and squinted. It was a bright, sunny day on Corneria.

"I wish you were here, old friend. But I guess in a way you'll always be nearby."

#

Fox and Krystal sat at a table in Fox's favorite cafe, overlooking Corneria. The view was stunning. Krystal looked beautiful and more relaxed than she had been for as long as Fox could remember. Fox was in good spirits as well. Falco had agreed to stay with Star Fox for a little while longer as did Slippy and with Wolf on the team Fox's fears of being alone had melted away. He sat drinking an iced coffee in the noon hour heat while Krystal enjoyed an iced tea.

"I wanted to tell you in person," said Krystal, "I'm leaving again."

Fox nodded. He had expected as much when he was asked to meet with her.

"I'm not going far. Panther and I have decided to take a break for a while. No starfighters. No Star Fox. No Star Wolf."

Fox had hoped that he might be able to convince Krystal and Panther both to join Star Fox, but he understood why they might want a break.

"I'm surprised," said Fox, "that you convinced Panther to hang up his hat."

"It didn't take much convincing." admitted Krystal, "We've decided to pursue our relationship and see where it goes. I know that deep down he wants to settle and open his own cafe or bistro. Part of the benefits of being a telepath. I try not to pry, but sometimes I can't help it."

They looked at each other briefly. Fox took a sip of his drink.

"Fox," said Krystal, "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."

"Me too." admitted Fox.

"I'm happy for you and Wolf though. I know you how much you care about him."

Fox choked on his drink and in the process inhaled a piece of ice. A few uncomfortable gags later and he brought it up. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Krystal.

"Telepathy." she said simply.

Fox frowned. "I haven't told anyone."

"Have you told Wolf?" she asked.

Fox looked away.

"Oh, Fox, I thought you told him." said Krystal, "I know he has strong feelings for you."

Fox's eyes widened and he looked at Krystal.

"Telepathy." she said. "I try not to, but strong emotions are hard to ignore."

Fox played with the straw in his coffee for a bit.

"I have never met anyone like him," admitted Fox, "and I never thought I'd fall for him either. I didn't know he felt the same way."

"You have a lot in common," said Krystal, "and you've been through a lot together in such a short time. Frankly I'm surprised you didn't realize he felt the same way about you. The guy reads like a book sometimes. The less he says, the easier it is to read him – even without telepathy."

Fox still fussed nervously with his drink.

"I thought you two were going to air your feelings when you gave him that Star Fox uniform." thought Krystal. "Look, you need to tell him how you feel."

"I don't know if I can do it." noted Fox, "I mean, we've been enemies for so long. What would the rest of the team think?"

"Oh good grief, Fox," exclaimed Krystal, "the team just wants you to be happy!"

Fox finished the rest of his drink. He was glad he had chosen something cold. He was getting a little warm under the collar.

"Just promise me," said Krystal, "promise me you'll talk to him."

"You really think he has feelings for me?" asked Fox. He could feel his heart racing a bit.

Krystal tipped her head and pointed to her temple. "Yeah, I do." she said.

#

Falco looked over his Sky Claw Arwing. "Aw, geeze. Baby's a mess." he stated, staring at the various scorch marks.

"They're all a mess." replied Slippy, popping his head out from behind the engine of his own Bullfrog Arwing.

The two had been loading the team's Arwings into one of the Cornerian hangars. They had rented the space to store their starfighters until they could acquire a replacement for the Great Fox - if they ever found one at all. The Arwings had all taken a beating from the battle on Venom. Not a single one had gone undamaged. Slippy and Falco's Arwings in particular were looking worse for wear and would require some significant work and funds to repair.

"I hope the Cornerian Army foots the bill for some of this." said Falco with a sigh.

"Peppy said he was looking into it." noted Slippy, "We did stop a war and it was technically while under Peppy's command."

Slippy resumed tinkering with his ship's engine.

Falco looked somewhat lost in thought.

"Slippy, are you sticking around?" asked Falco, "I mean, with Star Fox?"

Slippy stopped tinkering and wiped the oil off of his hands. "I'm going to spend more time with Amanda but I'm not looking to leave Star Fox yet." he said, "you?"

Falco sighed. "I was hoping to start my own team, but lately I've been thinking about sticking around for a little while longer." he said.

"Are you worried about Fox?" asked Slippy.

"A bit," noted Falco. "Going to stick around until I'm sure he's got his feet back under him. Plus..."

"Plus... what?" asked Slippy.

"Wolf." said Falco with a bit of annoyance.

"What about Wolf?" asked Slippy. He knew the answer without needing to ask.

"I don't know why Fox invited him to be on the team," noted Falco, "and I don't trust him."

"Aw, he's not so bad." said Slippy, trying to downplay Falco's concerns.

"He's a pirate." noted Falco.

"Reformed pirate." corrected Slippy.

"He tried to kill us." Falco continued.

"And saved us more than once." said Slippy.

"He's a bad egg-" started Falco.

"- looking for a second chance." interrupted Slippy, now getting a bit annoyed.

Falco sighed. "So I'm the only one concerned about him?" he said.

"No, you're not the only one concerned. You're the only one determined not to give him a chance." said Slippy with an unusual degree of frustration.

Falco knew it wasn't worth debating Wolf's merits at length. Time would tell if Wolf was really determined to reform.

"We'll see. But I will keep an eye on him."

#

"So what do you think of this one?" said Panther, pointing at a ring at a Cornerian jewelery store.

Panther had taken Wolf with him to search for a gift for Krystal. He was in love with her and he wanted to make it clear. Wolf was hardly enjoying the shopping. Most of the employees at the various stores seemed to be concerned that he was moments from robbing the place.

"Wolf?" asked Panther.

"Huh?" replied Wolf, slightly distracted.

"This ring, what do you think?" asked Panther a second time, pointing at an elegant piece.

"It's nice." said Wolf with mild disinterest.

"You need to relax." said Panther.

"What?" replied Wolf, again distracted by the gaze of the occasional passer-by.

"People will get used to you being here." said Panther, "and besides, tall fellow like you with an eye patch and a scowl on his face would stand out even if he wasn't a former pirate."

Wolf sighed. Panther probably had a point and it was likely that he had been reading more into the stares of people on the street than he should have been.

"You going to buy a ring for Fox." asked Panther, glancing at Wolf from the corner of his eye.

Wolf scowled at him.

"I thought you were meeting him at the park later today." noted Panther with a wry grin. "Seems nice and romantic."

Wolf said nothing.

"You know Krystal is telepathic right?" said Panther.

"Damnit." said Wolf.

"But she hasn't told me a thing." laughed Panther. "You don't need to be a telepath to guess that there is something between you. I was honestly just hoping to get you riled up after I heard you joined Star Fox but this is better. You really do have a thing for him."

Wolf crossed his arms and felt his blood pressure rise. He felt more than a bit embarrassed. He did have feelings for Fox. He had never expected to, but during their time on Venom he had come to enjoy Fox's presence and found himself missing him while they were apart. Wolf was having a lot of difficulty processing the idea.

"I suspected you were not much of a ladies man." said Panther, "Listen, I don't mind. I have been pleased to see you turn a new leaf and you deserve to be happy."

"Do I?" lamented Wolf.

"Stop it." said Panther, "You have a second chance. Take it. Let him know how you feel."

"Ugh" sighed Wolf. He was never very good at expressing his feelings. He lead pirate armies. He had been a cut-throat mercenary. He was a warrior. He had no patience for feelings. "I mean, it's Fox." said Wolf, "Fox fricken' McCloud of all people. And he's almost ten years younger than me."

"He is not that much younger," noted Panther, "and a few years is not a big deal."

"I can't talk to him about it." continued Wolf, "I mean, I don't think he feels the same way. I might just end up making the whole think awkward."

"Possibly," said Panther as waved down an employee and gestured to the display case. "But how will you feel if you never ask?"

Wolf thought about it.

"Sometimes it is best to make the first move." said Panther, examining the ring closer. "But if there is something between you, the signs will be there. You just need to read them carefully."

"Maybe your right." said Wolf.

"Of course I am. I know matters of the heart." said Panther. "I'll take the ring." he said to the salesperson.

#

6 PM. That was when Fox had asked Wolf to meet. He sat on a bench at the park overlooking the lake. It was a nice view. Fox starting thinking about the past few months. He thought about his struggles and his future. He thought about his recent fears of being alone and the friends who had dropped everything to find him. He thought about Wolf. He had been thinking a lot about Wolf. He still wasn't sure entirely what his feelings for him were. It was an odd attraction. Different but similar to what he had once felt for Krystal. It left him filled with so many questions.

"You wanted to meet?" asked Wolf as he walked up the path.

Fox hadn't noticed him approach. He had been too lost in thought.

"Yeah." said Fox quietly.

"I said yes to joining your team," said Wolf, "I thought we were good with that."

Fox slid down the bench and gestured to the spot beside him. "Have a seat." he said somewhat nervously.

Wolf sat beside him and looked out at the lake. "What's this about, Fox?" he asked with a somewhat confrontational tone. Fox couldn't get a read on him. Wolf always made his attempts at having a heart-to-heart very difficult.

"We have a conversation we need to finish." said Fox, "I have some questions I wanted to ask."

" _'What are we?'_ is what you want to ask?" suggested Wolf.

It was a question Fox had already asked twice before but it was the question he needed a solid answer to. He nodded.

"I don't know." said Wolf. "We don't really know each other that well, do we?"

Fox looked away slightly. "No, I guess not," he said, "but..."

Fox reached over and grabbed Wolf's hand. He looked at him to gauge his reaction. Wolf looked down and then back up to Fox with an expression of uncertainty written across his face. Fox went to pull his hand away but Wolf simply turned his around and clasped Fox's.

Fox paused and then continued his train of thought. "I enjoy my time with you. I miss you when you're not here. I don't know what that means."

"I don't either," said Wolf, "but I understand. I feel the same way."

"So what are we?" asked Fox again.

"We're two people figuring things out one step at a time." noted Wolf. "We're two people who have come to care about each other far more than they had ever expected. More than they each care to admit out loud."

Fox said nothing. He looked at his feet. He felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest and he could have sworn there was a mild ringing in his ears. He felt Wolf lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

"Hey, we'll figure this out." whispered Wolf. "In the mean time, I'm not going anywhere."

Fox leaned into Wolf and exhaled. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted from him. Wolf let go of Fox's hand and put his arm over Fox's shoulder and pulled him in closer.

"This," said Wolf, "I could get used to."

"So, I don't have to worry about you trying to shoot down my Arwing anymore?" asked Fox with a grin.

"I was wondering if that's all this was – you trying to keep me from shooting down your ship." said Wolf with a warm laugh. "No." he continued, "No more dogfights, you and I. I guess we're on the same team now."

"So, do we tell anyone?" asked Fox.

Wolf paused.

"'Cause Krystal knows..." Fox continued with a bit of a groan.

Wolf exhaled. "Yeah, Panther knows too." he admitted. "The rest can figure it out on their own. There's no sense in throwing this on top of everything else that's happened lately. Let's just figure the you and me thing out first."

"What if this doesn't work?" Fox asked with a worried tone.

"Then we're just friends." said Wolf. "Just two friends on the same team. I'd be happy even if that was all that came of this."

"Yeah, I guess that's fine." said Fox.

"Now, I'm not saying I want to just be friends." said Wolf.

"Me neither." admitted Fox with a smile.

"So this is going to work, right?" asked Fox, looking at Wolf's face.

Wolf paused and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I like this. This can work. We'll make this work."

The two sat silently looking at the lake simply enjoying each others company.

Wolf was the first to break the silence. "This feels so strange."

"We'll make it work" said Fox, relaxed to the point he could have nodded off.

"Yeah, we will." echoed Wolf. "We'll make this work."


End file.
